Document Type : Science - Research (International Relation)

Author

• Hossein Harsij

Faculty member of Isfahan University

Abstract

Political Knowledge, Vol.5, No.2, Autumn 2009 & Winter 2010


A Comparison of the Islamic Republic of Iran and America’s Soft Power Degree in the Middle East


Dr. Hossein Harsij


Mojtaba Touiserkani


The most important foreign policy heritage of the Bush administration for Obama is the very weak public visage of the United states in the world, and among Muslims in the Middle East, in particular. This is why Obama has introduced revival of America’s soft power management at international level as one of his "change strategy" elements. Middle East region will be the U.S priority to apply such a policy to because of the fact that public hatred of America reflects disgusting the US policies in the Middle East. On the other hand, Islamic republic of Iran possesses proper influential power in the region, due to many historical, cultural, and religious common foundations with Middle Eastern countries.


This study aims at comparing methods, employed by Iran and America to apply their soft power elements in the Middle East, and analyzing the effectiveness degree of these two countries’ soft power in the region and the impacts of Iran and America’s soft power orientations on the public opinion of the Middle Eastern societies.


The findings of this research indicate that, in contrast with Islamic republic of Iran, America’ s soft power application and its influence in the Middle Eastern societies has an unusual procedure.

Keywords

• Soft power
• public opinion
• Influence
• Middle East
• Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States of America

Main Subjects

• International Relation
• political science